This invention relates to an apparatus for enlarging and projecting the ordinary video image of a television set. In this regard, it is well known that it is sometimes difficult to see details of an image from an ordinary television set and that the number of people able to simultaneously view a single television set is limited.
Although a number of video image enlarging devices have already been proposed, the present invention is a significant improvement over such devices. For example, the apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,036,154 which was granted to Emil I. Harmon on May 22, 1976 has a functional drawback in that it requires the use of a relatively large and heavy internal battery for operation of the device. Furthermore, it does not project an enlarged image upon a display surface outside of the device. Therefore, difficulties in observing the details of the video image projected can be experienced, particularly for a large group. Finally, the image projected also has the further drawback of being the reverse of the actual video image.
Other prior art image enlarging devices utilize a complicated system of a series of mirrors (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,543,561 issued on Feb. 27, 1951 to Madison H. Tracy--column 3, lines 45-50) or the use of mirror and lens arrangements (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,021,104 granted to Stanley D. Schubach on May 3, 1977 and 3,820,995 which was issued on June 28, 1974 to Bennie S. Miller).